BUFFALO – As he morphed from a regular into the Sabres’ seventh or eighth defenseman over the past two years, Jacob Bryson developed a unique skill.
Bryson believes he can be scratched for long stretches – in the most recent instance, he went 42 days between playing games – and rejoin the lineup ready to contribute, no easy task.
“I honestly think it’s a skill I’ve brought to my game over the last couple years,” Bryson said following Monday’s practice.
The affable Bryson, 26, played in Tuesday’s 5-1 win over against the Ottawa Senators at KeyBank Center, his second straight outing after sitting out the first 11 games as a healthy scratch.
After dressing for a preseason contest Sept. 21, he did not play again until coach Lindy Ruff inserted him for Saturday’s 2-1 road loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
That’s nothing. When the Sabres waived Bryson last season, he had sat out 20 straight contests over a 44-day stretch.
“It’s fun and it’s awesome to be back in there,” he said. “But, yeah, it’s kind of second nature, especially in my position, I’ve done that in the past. So I feel like I’ve adapted to that and I’m able to do that now, and so it’s a big part of my game.”
Through the adversity – a 10-game stint in the minors early last winter helped him find a groove – he has embraced the difficult job of serving as an extra defender.
Of course, Bryson, who credits the coaching staff for keeping him ready, hasn’t accepted he’s around to provide depth. He wants more. But to earn a regular spot again, he must stay prepared when he’s sitting out.
When an opportunity materializes like it did Saturday – Ruff scratched defenseman Connor Clifton – Bryson has proven he’s ready to seize it. Last season, he played the Sabres’ final 31 games.
“A lot of it’s mental,” he said of sitting out. “You can’t get too frustrated. You still got to come to the rink with a smile on your face every day and be a good teammate and be a good pro around everyone else. You don’t want to feed negative energy to your teammates. I think that’s a big thing.”
Bryson impressed Ruff during his 13 minutes, 34 seconds of ice time in Detroit, so he earned another game.
“(I liked) his puck movement, his defending, he wasn’t in on anything,” Ruff said. “I find him to be a very smart, reliable guy. That first pass is good. Attention to detail in the D-zone was good. And that’s with not playing a long time, too.”
If Bryson keeps performing at that level, he could force Ruff to make difficult decisions.
“Not playing a few games and coming back into the lineup and being able to play well, I think, is a talent,” Bryson said. “I think I should be in the top six if I continue to do that. I want to give the coaches no reason to take me out, obviously.
“So when I get in there, I feel like there’s nothing lose. I played my game, and usually good things will happen.”
Meanwhile, Ruff said Clifton, who played against Ottawa, “needs to elevate his play.”
“The standard has to be higher,” he said. “His play, I think, hasn’t been up to where we think it should be.”
In Friday’s 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders, Maxim Tsyplakov undressed him in the right circle before scoring the go-ahead goal.
The Sabres had room for Clifton and defenseman Dennis Gilbert, who played his second game this season, because they scratched Henri Jokiharju and Mattias Samuelsson.
–
Prior to the game, the Sabres sent rookie forward Jiri Kulich to the Rochester Americans, creating a roster spot for winger Zach Benson, who played Tuesday after missing five games with a lower-body injury.
Kulich, 20, scored one goal in eight games as he moved in and out of the lineup over the last month. In Rochester, where he has scored 51 goals over the last two seasons with the Amerks, he has developed into one of the AHL’s most talented prospects.
If the Czech, the 28th overall pick in 2022, performs well in Rochester, he should return to the NHL in the near future.
“He’s on the cusp of becoming the player everybody thinks he can be,” Ruff said.
Kulich, a natural center the Sabres utilized as a winger, impressed Ruff, showcasing growth during his longest stint in Buffalo.
“Like a lot of young players, there’s a lot of good stuff,” Ruff said. “His game, I think even from the camp until now, has come around. I think ideally for a guy like Kuli, his shot is his weapon, he needs to be on a first power-play unit and be over on that right side, and his threat is shooting the puck, his biggest weapon.
“But I do think his five-on-five play has been very good. Like, he’s determined, he’s been able to skate with it, he’s been able to defend well. Everybody says he’s a lot stronger this year than he was last year.”
The Amerks play a road game tonight against the Cleveland Monsters.
–
The Sabres also scratched winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel (healthy).